The present invention relates generally to fasteners and latches and, more particularly, to an accessory latching assembly for wagons, riding toys and other children's vehicles and the like.
Riding toys, wagons and other children's vehicles are popular outdoor toys for children. Wagons are particularly popular due to their versatility. Parents often use wagons to transport their young children. While wagons provide an effective mode of transport, children riding in a wagon are often exposed to direct sunlight. Exposure to the sunlight over extended periods of time may result in sunburns or other harmful effects for children such as heat exhaustion. Young children are especially susceptible to the damaging effects of the sun. As a result, it has become desirable to affix canopies over the wagons to protect occupants or cargo from the sunlight. It is also desirable to provide canopies that may be removed so that the wagon may be easily stored or transported in a vehicle such as the family car.
The prior art includes a number of arrangements for attaching canopies to wagons in a removable fashion. U.S. Pat. No. 2,942,914 to Noot and U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,426 to McConnell illustrate wagons with removable canopies supported by vertical poles. In each patent, the bottom ends of the poles are removably received within bores formed in blocks within the wagon bed or within the wagon body itself. While such an approach permits the canopies to be easily removed, the canopies are not very secure in their attachment to the wagons. As a result, they could blow off of the wagons or be easily removed by children riding in the wagons.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,893 to Spinella et al. illustrates a wagon having a canopy with poles that have holes formed horizontally through their bottom ends. The bottom ends of the poles are removably received within tube-like brackets fastened to each corner of the wagon body. The tube-like brackets each feature a pair of holes that line up with the holes of a corresponding canopy pole when the canopy is installed on the wagon. For each tube-like bracket, a screw is placed through the bracket and pole holes with a nut attached to the screw on the other side of the assembly. As a result, the bottom end of each canopy pole is secured within its respective tube-like bracket. While such an arrangement securely fastens the canopy to the wagon, it is awkward and time consuming to remove as each of the four nuts must be removed from each of the four screws.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,566 to LaFave et al. discloses a wagon having threaded sockets attached to the tops of each of the four corners of the wagon walls. The wagon canopy features four poles with threaded fittings attached to their bottom ends. The threaded fittings engage the threaded sockets of the wagon body so that the canopy is secured to the wagon. While the arrangement does securely fasten the canopy to the wagon body, removal of the canopy is again awkward and time consuming.
It may be desirable to attach other accessories to a wagon or other children's vehicles in a removable fashion. Such accessories could include, for example, decorative flags and safety flags. As with the wagon canopies, it is desirable that the accessories be removable so that the wagon or children's vehicle may be easily stored and transported. It is also desirable that the accessories be securely fastened to the wagon or children's vehicle to prevent accidental removal.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an accessory latching assembly that attaches an accessory to a children's vehicle in a removable fashion.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an accessory latching assembly that may be quickly and easily released.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an accessory latching assembly that securely attaches an accessory to a children's vehicle.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the remaining portion of the specification.